Mercury-cooled transfer valve



E. A. SPERRY MERCURY COOLED TRANSFER VALVE I I JNVENTOR fLMA'RgZF/ ERRX Filed April 14, 1919 .Tatented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,519,272 PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER A. SPERRY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '10' SEERRY DEVELOPMENT GOMIANY, 0F DOVER GREEN, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

MERCURY-COOLED TRANSFER VALVE.

Application filed April 14, 1919. Serial No. 290,059.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER A. SPERRY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Klngs and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Mercury-Cooled Transfer alves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines of the multiple expansion oil burning type, and has to do with the valves used for the admission of air to the high pressure cylinders and for the transfer of the partially expanded gases from the high pressure cylinders after the completion of a working stroke to the low pressure cylinder.

The cooling of a transfer valve is much more difiicult than the cooling of an exhaust valve. In the case of an exhaust valve the escaping gases passing over the valve are permitted to fully expand so that the valve is not surrounded on all sides by compressed hot gases, while in the case of a transfer valve the gases not only pass over the valve, but are still highly compressed on all sides of it. The transfer valve thus becomes more intensely heated and has much less opportunity of becoming coo-led.

The main object of the invention is to provide a method and means for cooling the transfer valves. Other objects will appear in the description of the invention.

Owing to the location of the transfer valve where it is subjected to the heat of the burning fuel in the high. pressure cylinder and to contact with the volume of hot gas passing from the high to the low pressure cylinder, it becomes excessively hot, and therefore, requires a very effective and rapid cooling system to maintain it at a proper working temperature.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have shown what I now consider to be the preferred form of my invention:

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of the upper portion of an engine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the valve units, looking in the direction of arrow A, Fig. 1, showing the operating cams and levers.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the valve taken approximately on line 3-3, Fig. 2, with a portion of the cylinder head included.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the transfer valve stem.

Fig. 5 is a section thereof taken on line 5-5, Fig. 4.

In the drawings, 1 and 2 represent the high pressure cylinders, while 3 represents the low pressure cylinders; the low pressure piston being shown at 4. Passages 1 and 2 are shown for communication from the high pressure cylinders through ports 1 and 2 to the low pressure cylinder.

Two valve units 1 and 2 are shown secured by bolts 5 to the top or cylinder head 6 of the engine, with the valve heads 1 and 2 closing ports 1 and 2 The details of the valves are shown in Fig. 3. The structure comprises a compound or two part valve, which in reality is two separate valves, 2 and 7, constructed one within the other. Valve 2 is shown closing port 2 and is provided with .a hollow stem 14 reachin r up through the top of valve casing 8 and having a double flange member 9 secured to its top. An actuating lever 10 is shown engaging said stem 14 between said flanges 9 (see also Fig. 2). Said lever may be pivoted at 11 and adapted to be actuated by a cam 12 on a shaft 13 which may be driven in any suitable manner, not shown, by the main'shaft of the engine, for lifting .valve 2 from its seat.

Surrounding stem 14 and seating on valve 2 is the valve 7 in the form of a sleeve having a piston-like engagement at 15 and 16 with the valve casing 8. A flange 17 on the upper part of valve 7 is engaged by a spring 18. Said spring also engages the top of casing 8 at 19 and serves to hold valve 7 tightly closed on valve 2 and thus at the same time holds said valve 2 closed.

A lever 20 (see Fig. 2) pivotally secured at 21 to a link 22 suspended from lever 10 is shown engaging flange 17 and adapted to be actuated by a cam 23 on shaft 13 to lift valve 7 from its seat. In this connection it will be noted that when valve 7 is open, the pressure exerted upon lever 20 by spring 18 will be transmitted through link 22 and lever 10 to valve 2 to continue to hold the latter closed. It will further be seen that when lever 10 is actuated to 0 en valve 2 it will through said link 22 a so lift lever 20. The linking together of levers 10 and 20 may be so adjusted that when lever 10 is raised lever 20 will continue to press firmly a ainst flange 17. This-will divert part of e stram of compressing spring 18 away from valve stem 14 to said lever 20.

In operation, chamber 24 Wlll be supplied with compressed air through ipe' 25 rom a source not shown, so that w en valve 7 is opened, the air passin down through ducts 26 in said valve and so through grooves 27- in valve stem 14, will pass out into pasage 2 and into the cylinder. After the expansion ofthe gases in the high pressure cylinder, valve. 2 will .0 en and permit said gases to pass into the ow pressure cylinder for further expansion. In order to prevent the pressure of the gases passing from one of the'high pressure cylinders from forcing open the transfer valve between the low pressure cylinder and the other high pressure cylinder, I have shown a balancing piston 35 on valve stem 14 slidably engaging the inner cylindrical walls of valve 7; the said walls in turn fitting slidably around the water jacket 36 at 37, thus forming a chamber 38 back of valve 2. Communication is established between said chamber and the low pressure cylinder as by means of a tubin 39, which as shown, may pass up in the ollow stem 14 and emer e through the side. thereof as at 40; The oining of this tube to the valve may be welded at both ends. The passage of the hot gas over the transfer valve heats said valve to a very high temperature; The 1' passage of the air through valve 7 downalong stem 14 in grooves 27 before ,enterin the high pressure c linder is thus design to abstract much 0 the heat. Incidentally the said air will acquire about the same amount of heat as is given up by the valves in striking the useful heat balance. .Also durin the period that valve 7 is closed, the air from chamber 24 will circulate as indicated by arrows in Fig. 5; the air 'becoming heated to a higher temperature. in grooves 27 than in ducts 26, will rise through said grooves, being displaced by the cooler and heavier air moving downwardly throu h ducts 26. Thus a continuous wash of t e valve and stem takes lace whether the valve is open or closed. ome of this heat will, of course, be absorbed by the walls surrounding said chamber 24.

As a further means for effecting the proper cooling, of the said transfer valve, the stem 14 thereof may be hollow as shown, and communicating with a cup-like opening 50 in the valve containing a quantity of liquid, preferably mercury 28; the open ings into the hollow stem beingv sealed, as by welding. The heat of valve 2 will cause the mercury to vaporize and rise to the upper part of the hollowstem 14, thereby heating said upper end; the vapors becoming condensed and falling back into the cup.

Thus it will be seen that heat will be transferred rapidly by convection from valve 2 to the upper part of its stem. This heat may then be abstracted from the stem by an appropriate method, either by radiation or otherwise. cooling of this stem, I prefer to surround the same by a chamber 30 through which a cooling fluid such as water may be circulated. resuming the water to be forced in through ipe 31, it will be caused by baflie 33 and one or more annular projections 34 thereon to flow down along and in close contact with stem 14, around the bottom of said baflle, then circulating through chamber 30 .and passing out through pipe 32. Obviously the flow may be in. the opposite direction.

v vIn an engine of the character described the tube 39 formin theconnection from the balancing cylin er 38 and piston 35 to the interi tir of the low pressure cylinder becomes very hot, especiallywhen cushioning isemployed 1n the low pressure cylinder as preferred in. this type of engine.

"These hot gases from the low pressure cylinder constantly pass and repass through t e pipe 39- as the pressure fluctuates 1n said cylinder heating the pipe to red heat. Not only is it desirable to'dissip'ate this heat in order to prevent overheating of the valve surrounding the same but it is also necessary to dissipate the heat in order to maintain proper lubrication of the balancing piston 35. In this connection the mer- ;-cu'ry again performs a very important func- In order to efiect a rapid 'tion' in assisting in transferrmg-the heat in the pipe '39 and the gases within the same to the. stem 14 o'fthe valve and thence 'by conduction through the stem to-the intake air. I 7 heat from the pipe 39 abstracted but it is made use of in improving the [operation of. the engine'byhe'ating the intake air;

For cooling the transfer valve 2 then, I have shown the air-inlet valve 7 surrounding stem 14st) ,that the air will pass'along said stem while passing into the cylinder, and circulate in contact therewith'when the valve is closedfand I have also shown means for transferring the heat by evaporation and convection from the valve ,to a distant part of the stem thereof where the heat is extracted from the stem. Obviousl the water jacket 36 may be dispensed with and the air passing through valve 7 relied ByI-this means not only is the upon to extract the heat transferred along stem 14 by the mercury vapors. In this connection the distance through which the air passes in contact with thevalve stem 14 maybe increased if desired so that a greater amount of heat may be absorbed by the saidair.

It is to be noted also, that the cooling surfaces of the valve are much greater in area I both with and without the mercury cooling feature than the heated surfaces, or the surfaces exposed to the hot gases. With the mercury cooling feature, the valve is cooled both inside and outside. And too, not only is the valve head 2 cooled through the stem 14, but also by direct contact with the inlet air sweeping over the upper surface thereof and the mercury 28 located therewithin.

In construction the valve 2 and its stem 14 may be made in one piece, and the balancing piston 35 attached after valve 7 has been assembled over said valve 2.

The lubrication of the valves may be effected by injecting oil at 41. The oil will run down into a small trough 42 surrounding the water jacket 36. The purpose of this trough is to cause the oil to spread around said jacket. The oil will then flow over said trough or through numerous perforations (not shown) in the side thereof and down the sides of jacket 36 to bearings 43 and 44. Some of the oil will pass through holes 45 and 46 and down to bearings 47 and 48.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus, which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a valve head and a stem therefor, said stem being hollow, means within said stem for transferrin heat from the head to a remote part of t e stem by evaporation and condensation, and a water jacketed guide surrounding said remote part.

2. In combination, a valve head, a hollow stem therefor, means within said stem for transferring heat from one part thereof to another, and separate means for passing air and water over said stem for extracting heat therefrom.

3. A combination two-part valve, one of said parts being provided with a hollow stem adapted tocontain a fluid, the other of said parts being provided with passages therethrough adjacent a portion of said stem, and a water jacket surrounding another portion of said stem.

4. A combination valve for an internal combustion engine, comprising an exhaust portion and an inlet portion, said exhaust portion having a chamber therein adapted to contain mercury, said inlet portion having passages therethrough adjacent the walls of said chamber whereby the fluid passing through said inlet portion will extract heat from said walls.

5. In a combination two-part fluid valve, an inner valve and a stem therefor, a sleevelike valve member surrounding said inner valve and stem, space being provided between said valves for a cooling fluid to pass in contact with the outside of said inner valve and stem, and means within the stem for distributing the heat of the valve along the stem.

6. In combination, an inner valve member and a stem therefor, a sleeve-like valve member surrounding said stem engaging said inner member, and radially separated and intercommunicating passages associated with said valves and stem for a cooling fluid to circulate through and means for distributing the heat of the first named member along its stem. l

7. In combination, an inner valve member and a stem therefor, a sleeve-like valve member surrounding said stem and engaging said inner member, radially separated and inter-communicating passages associated with said valves and stem for a cooling fluid to circulate through and additional means for cooling the outside of said stem.

8. In a valve unit, an inner valve member and a stem integral therewith, a sleevelike valve member surrounding said stem, said sleeve member and a portion of said stem having radially separated and intercommunicating passages associated therewith for a cooling fluid to circulate through, and means for cooling another portion of said stem.

9. Ina valve unit, an inner valve member and a stem integral therewith, a sleeve-like valve member surrounding said stem, said sleeve member and a portion of said stem having radially separated and inter-communicating passages associated therewith for a cooling fluid to circulate through for cooling said valves, and additional means for cooling said inner valve.

10. In a valve unit, an inner valve member and a stem integral therewith, a sleevelike valve member surrounding said stem, said sleeve member and a portion of said stem having radially separated and intercommunicating passages associated therewith for a cooling fluid to circulate through for cooling said valves, and means within said inner valve for distributing the heat thereof along its stem.

11. A composite valve for internal combustion engines comprising the combination of a valve seat, an exhaust valve adapted to rest thereon, an inlet sleeve valve or ranged concentrically to said exhaust valve and adapted to seat on the back of the same, sald exhaust valve having a chamber therein ada ted to contain mercury and a hollow stem aving an extended exterior cooling surface, there being a passageway between said stem and said sleeve valveand a water jacket for the inner stem be-' yond the end of the outer stem. I

13. In a two part valve unit, the combination with two valves, one of which is seated on the other, inner and outer valve; stems for said valves, a passage between and alon the stems of said valves through whic the intake gases pass when the outer valve is opened, a water jacket for the in-' ner stem beyond the end of the outer stem,

and a liquid within the inner stem for transferring the heat of the valve along the stem.

14. In combination, a valve member having a head and a stem, a balancing duct passing through said head and stem, means for transferring heat from said head and duct to a distant part of said stem, and a water i'acket surrounding only said distant part 0 said stem.

15. A combination two part valve for multiple expansion internal combustion engines comprisin inner and outer valve of said members containing a small quansaid inner stem, means on the inner stem for increasing the external area thereof, and

means for causing the intake gases to pass between said stems as they enter the cyl- 'inder.

16. A combination valve for an internal "combustion engine comprising an exhaust portion and an inlet portion, one of said portions having a chamber therein adapted to contain mercury, and the other of said portions having passages therethrou h adjacent the walls of said chamber w ereby the fluid passing through said other of said portions will extract heat from said walls.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

ELMER A. SPERRY.

members, a close hollow stem for the inner 4 tity of volatile liquid, an outer hollow stem for the other of said members surrounding 

